Landing Page: What Is It, and Why Is It Needed?

One of the most effective internet marketing tools is the landing page or landing page. This one-page site prompts the user to take a certain action, such as buying a product or booking a certain service.

A landing page is a key brand promotion tool. It helps increase conversions, reach target audiences and take customers to the next level of the sales funnel. You don’t have to involve a web designer to create a landing page: you just need to use a convenient website builder.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at a landing page: what it is, how it works, and how you can use it to the maximum benefit.

What is a landing page?

Landing Page is a stand-alone web page for user engagement. It is an effective form of marketing and a tool for advertising campaigns. The landing page encourages users to take a specific action – sign up for a free trial, book a service, or make a purchase. To do this, use special buttons with a call to action: for example, “Get Started,” “Subscribe,” or “Buy.” Typically, customers find out about a landing page from mailing lists or online ads, find it on social media, or in search results on Google or Yandex.

A landing page is a tool for generating leads and reaching the right customers. Using a landing page, you can get an idea of ​​the effectiveness of your marketing strategy.

Regular site vs. landing page: what’s the difference

The main difference between a regular and a landing page is that a landing page is created to promote and sell a product or service. 

An ordinary site is multifunctional. It can include an About Us page, a gallery, an online store, and more. At the same time, only the most important information is placed on the landing page, which guides users towards your goal.

The landing page structure looks different – there are no additional links that can lead users away from the call to action. As a result, the person arriving on the landing page can close the page or get involved.

Because landing pages are so focused, they are extremely effective in increasing conversions and reducing the cost of attracting leads and sales. 

To get a better idea of ​​the difference between home and landing pages, take a look at examples of their templates:

How to create a landing page

Use a free ready-made landing page template to create your one-page website. All templates are developed by professional designers and marketers, suitable for increasing conversions and marketing sales. They can be easily edited: customize them to match brand colors, add logos, and much more. You can even create two different pages and see which one works best.

Any landing page should demonstrate how the business or service is useful to a potential client. The visitor will leave his contacts or purchase from the landing page only when he understands the benefits for himself.

We’ve already covered how to create a landing page for free.

what is a landing page: examples of landing pages what is a landing page: examples of landing pages

Landing page types

Let’s take a look at the two main types of landing pages :

Lead capture page. A mini-site that generates leads by collecting data about page visitors. Usually, there is a contact form on such a site: clients leave information in it, which can be used for further communication. These pages will help you get an idea of ​​who your potential customers are and how to reach them.

In return for the information you leave, offer your users something useful. This could be a discount coupon, ebook, webinar, our exclusive newsletter.

Landing Page Examples: Lead Capture PageLanding Page Examples: Lead Capture Page

Transition page. A landing page that leads users to a sales or subscription page. Typically, these pages have a call-to-action button that immediately redirects visitors to checkout. This type of landing page is often used on eCommerce and SaaS websites that specialize in fast sales.

When choosing the right type of landing page, think about your goals. Want to collect contact information? Are you offering a unique discount? Forming an RSVP for an event? A specific goal will create the most accurate landing page and attract the required target audience.

When to use a landing page

Here’s what a landing page is usually used for:

Direct users to the product: By creating a landing page with a call-to-action button – “Buy,” you can direct users directly to purchase the product or the online store.

Offer free trial: If you offer a service, use the landing page to sign up for a free trial.

Get Leads From Blogs: Turn blog readers into leads by encouraging them to leave contact information for exclusive content. For example, a free ebook, brochure, or webinar.

Get Newsletter Subscribers: Use the landing page to subscribe to your email newsletter. Add a call to action button, such as Subscribe or Sign Up, to nudge users to subscribe.

Event Registration: Reach more customers with your event registration landing page. For example, for a webinar or an online course.

Create a User Club: Use the landing page to get users to sign up for a paid membership club that guarantees them VIP privileges. For example, exclusive content or special invitations for club members only.

facts about landing page facts about landing page

Landing structure

Now you have an idea of ​​what a landing page is and why it is necessary for a business. Let’s go through the basic design elements of a landing page to know what to look for:

1. Strong visuals

A professionally designed template, high-quality image, animation, or video will help attract users’ attention. Visuals should evoke emotion in your page visitors.

Place your most important visual content at the top of the page, also known as the cover. This is the first thing that a client who visits the landing page sees. Place the most important content on the cover to grab the user’s attention and increase the likelihood of a purchase.

landing structure landing structure

2. Catchy headlines

The headline determines whether people keep reading. The information should “catch” the user and correspond to his interests.

The secret of a good headline is a promise to solve a problem or improve the lives of those who read it. 

3. Strong calls to action

A call to action (“Call to Action” or CTA) is a short phrase that encourages users to take the action for which the landing page was created. This is one of the key elements of a landing page.

According to statistics, 90% of users who read the headline will also notice the call-to-action button. “Subscribe,” “Start trial period,” “Register” – these are variants of such buttons.

examples of call to action buttons for a landing page examples of call to action buttons for a landing page

4. List of benefits

Every word counts. You have one page to convince users to click on the call to action button. It is important to explain why they need it. Don’t waste limited space on a detailed description of the offer. Better to clearly describe what the user will receive by purchasing your product or subscribing to a service.

5. Customer reviews

Even the most colorful description of the benefits of a product does not match the effectiveness of a good review. Reviews are quotes from real buyers who have tried a product or service and are satisfied.

Customer testimonials on the page will increase the number of people clicking on the call to action button. The brand will be more trusted. If possible, add a photo and video reviews of buyers.

Use the dedicated Speculoos tool to determine which reviews are the most effective for converting leads.

6. Conclusion

Not all users leaf through your landing page to the end. But for those who do it, leave a final word. Summarize the main features and benefits. Convince the user that your product or service will make their life better (if it is). The conclusion can be a decisive push for those still in doubt.

Useful Tips

No navigation menu. The user’s eyes should be focused on the product’s benefits and not wander around the page.

Limit the number of internal links. Direct users directly to the call-to-action button and not to another page.

Content and navigation should be intuitive. The fewer links, the more conversion.

Make the text easy to read. Long, solid text can tire or frighten the user. Make your text simple and informative. Each word should serve one purpose – to convince the customer to click on the call to action button.

Be consistent. Potential customers will go to the landing page through ads. This can be email newsletters, social networks, or paid promotions on Google. Make sure the content in the ad and on the landing page is the same. Otherwise, users can get confused. For a page to look organic, text, font, and colors must match.

Highlight the call to action

The call to action button should be visible. Use simple, clear words and contrasting designs. Place the button on different page parts to give users more options to click on it.

Define your target audience

A good landing page targets potential customers. Make sure the content on the page resonates with the needs of your audience. You can create several different landing pages for each group of potential customers.

Actions should be simple and straightforward. All forms on the page should be simple and require people to fill out only the most necessary information. When collecting contact information, shorten the form to a name, email, and a couple of important short questions. The sale form should be short and clear if the goal is to buy. With minimal text so as not to confuse the client.

Focus on the customer. Landing page content should be centered around the user. Don’t describe how great your company is; instead, talk about the benefits of being your client.

Put important information on the cover. Don’t wait for users to scroll through the entire page. Place at least one call to action button on the cover. So they will immediately see her. Place the image and title there as well.

Create a mobile version. Make sure your landing page looks good and loads on any device. The page must be adapted for smartphones and tablets since most of your traffic will come from them.

How to drive traffic to your landing page 

Here are the four main channels for driving traffic:

1. Social networks

The first place to promote your landing page is on social media. Create a post with a link to your page for Facebook, VK, Twitter, or Pinterest. This will attract people who already love your brand.

2. Email marketing

Email marketing remains the most effective way to drive traffic to your landing page. Add email campaigns to social media promotion.

Come up with a subject line, images, and text. If done correctly, your email campaign will generate a lot of traffic.

Not sure where to start? Check out our email marketing guide.

email newsletter for landing page email newsletter for landing page

3. SEO optimization

Optimize your landing page to appear on the first lines of Google searches. The higher the link in the search results, the more people click on it.

Use keywords. Use Ahrefs’ or Semrush’s tools to determine which words and phrases will work best. Make sure they appear in titles and descriptions.

By building a website with cloudretouch, you can customize the SEO of your page – including meta tags, URLs, canonical tags, and more.

For example, headings are not only easy to read, but they are also part of the HTML language that Google reads. When crawling a website’s content, Google uses headers to analyze information. So he “decides” on what place in the search to put the link to your page.

Headings have their hierarchy from H1 to H6. This is a way to prioritize page content. H1 is the title of the page. Google crawls it first to determine the theme of the entire site. Therefore, it is important to use keywords in the H1 heading.

Your landing page will retain all your purchased SEO settings. For example, if you created a page for a seasonal marketing campaign, do not delete it at the end of the season. You should be able to use the same URL again after a year. It will only be necessary to update the content of the page.

SEO optimization for landing page SEO optimization for landing page

4. Paid advertising

Social media, email marketing, and SEO are free ways to drive traffic to your page. However, if you want even more impact, consider paid promotion. Based on the demographics and interests of the desired audience, you can be sure that your page will be seen by people who find it interesting and useful.  

Search Engine Promotion: Have you ever noticed an advertisement at the top of Google search results? You are looking for a keyword or phrase. If they match the request of a person in Google, he will see the advertisement of your page first in the search.

Social media advertising: Social media like Facebook and Instagram show paid posts to your target audience based on their interests. That way, you can reach people who have interests that align with your product or service.

Advertising placement: Another option for advertising is placing banners on sites with the same target audience as yours.   

Depending on the campaign’s goal, you can combine several promotion options or concentrate on one. The continuous analysis will help determine the most effective method and get the most out of it.

Landing page benefits

A landing page is a powerful tool for business prosperity. Let’s look at some of the top marketing strategy benefits landing pages.

Increased conversion. Landing pages focus on one specific goal and nudge users into action. Landing page visitors move further along the sales funnel and turn from anonymous users to leads and active customers.

Valuable audience insights. Add a registration form to the page to find out your audience’s demographics. Pay attention to where more users are coming to the landing page. This will help you learn about the habits and interests of your customers optimize your targeting and marketing strategy.

Increase brand awareness. A beautiful, professional landing page is the face of the company. It increases conversions and helps to introduce the brand to more people. The more often users see a landing page with your logo, the more recognized your company is.

Landing pages can be measured. Analyze conversions, page views, and traffic. This will help you understand which marketing campaign works best. See what works best. For example, paid promotion of posts or email newsletters. Optimize the strategy accordingly with the received data

Examples of landing pages

To better understand what a landing page is, take a look at examples of landing pages :

1.Editor X by cloudretouch

Editor X is made specifically for designers and design agencies. Thanks to the advanced design options on the platform, you can create sites without using code. This landing page is simple and stylish. Made in dark blue colors with white font.

Upon entering the site, you will see a welcome headline: “The Future of Website Design” in big white letters. Rays of lighter blue light pass through the center of the image, highlighting the word “future” and contrasting favorably against the dark blue background. The CTA “Start Build” is right below the text.

Scrolling down, you will see no links to other resources on the page. There are just short descriptions of the different tools, a call to action button next to each one, and mesmerizing images. The landing page is designed for a professional audience – hence the small amount of text and stylish design.

2.SurveyMonkey

SurveyMonkey is a survey and research service. Their landing page is designed to offer visitors two options: Premium and Free Subscription. Below the call-to-action button is a short text describing the product: “Polling and poll tools to help you collect opinions and get results quickly.”

On a white background, the text is easy to read. Scrolling through the page, you will only see important information about SurveyMonkey’s services, prices for their three most popular plans, and a contact form for submitting a demo. You need to fill in your name, email address, title, and company name on the form.

3. Tipalti

A B2B company that uses a landing page to generate leads. Visitors will immediately see a contact information collection form next to a large yellow call-to-action button, “Get a Free Demo.”

The entire page is designed to incorporate colors and with the company logo. Below you will see highlighted facts about why you should choose their service and customer reviews with photos. Call-to-action buttons appear multiple times. This gives the user several options to book a demo.

4. Miro

Miro is an online collaboration service. Teams use it to create vision boards for planning projects and tasks. Upon entering the page, you will immediately see a video describing the service’s capabilities.

A black Get Started Call-to-Action button is on the left, drawing attention to itself. Miro’s biggest customers and the main benefits of using the product are Towards the bottoms.

5. Upwork

Upwork is a freelance platform. Their target audience is remote workers and companies ordering their services. This particular landing page is designed for companies looking for freelancers to work with. The Get Started call-to-action button is featured twice on the cover. It’s easier to convert leads this way.

The page is made in brand colors – green and white. On the landing page, you will see a list of top clients and the benefits of hiring through the service. At the very bottom – user reviews.

At the top of the page is a photo of one of the best freelancers – Upwork users. This allows for a deeper emotional connection with the company.